Much to the dismay of A Song of Ice and Fire fans, plenty of iconic, fan-favorite characters never made it to the small screen for the now legendary TV version of George R.R. Martin's fantasy series, HBO's Game of Thrones. Despite starting out as an almost word perfect adaptation of its source material, Game of Thrones drifted further and further away from the books as the series progressed. As such, plenty of promising page characters, such as Quentyn and Arianne Martell, Jon Connington and Aegon Targaryen (aka Griff and Young Griff), and Strong Belwas never appear in the television series.
Additionally, several hugely important characters in the books have their roles severely reduced for the show. Unlike his A Song of Ice and Fire counterpart, Mance Rayder never cheats death on the series, cutting his screentime short in Season 5. Point-of-view characters Areo Hotah and Arys Oakheart are relegated to background appearances on screen. And fan-favorite Barristan Selmy is unceremoniously killed off just as the show is about to reach the point in the books' story where he takes center stage.
However, one hugely important book character makes for an interesting case in terms of his role in the adaptation. When the show follows the source material closely back in Season 1, he appears in a similar capacity on screen as he does on page. However, once the show starts to follow its own path, he practically disappears altogether.
Who is Illyrio Mopatis, the Cheesemonger?
Illyrio Mopatis is introduced in A Game of Thrones as a wealthy cheesemonger from the free city of Pentos and a Targaryen loyalist. He offers Daenerys and Viserys shelter in his Pentoshi home as he helps broker the wedding between Daenerys and Khal Drogo, thus seemingly equipping Viserys with the army he needs to take back the Iron Throne. As a wedding gift, Illyrio gives Daenerys three dragon eggs, thought to be dormant, which, of course, hatch by the end of the novel.
Later in that same book, Arya Stark catches Illyrio conspiring with Varys in King's Landing. Terrified that they mean to kill her father, she reports what she overheard to Ned, who dismisses her concerns.
This marks Illyrio's final appearance until the fifth and most recently published A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Dance with Dragons. After Varys helps Tyrion escape his imprisonment at the end of A Storm of Swords, the youngest Lannister sibling finds himself face to face with Illyrio across the Narrow Sea, in his Pentoshi home. There, Illyrio convinces Tyrion to aid Daenerys, taking him to a mysterious sellsword known as "Griff," who will accompany him to Meereen. Along the way, Tyrion learns that Illyrio is responsible for more of the series' scheming than many readers realized.
Illyrio Mopatis' Role in Game of Thrones
Much like in the books, Illyrio first appears in Game of Thrones' first episode, "Winter is Coming," where he is portrayed by Roger Allam. He similarly hosts the Targaryen siblings, providing exposition about Dothraki culture to Daenerys (and the audience), and gifts her the three dragon eggs. Allam makes his second appearance as Illyrio later in that season, when Arya catches him conspiring with Varys. Notably, audiences are able to recognize the actors on screen, rather than relying on Arya's descriptions of the characters in the books, removing any mystery as to these conspirators' identities in the adaptation.
However, Allam's appearance in Season 1, Episode 5, "The Wolf and the Lion," marks his final portrayal of Illyrio Mopatis on Game of Thrones. When the character would have reappeared once Tyrion reaches Pentos, Varys takes his place, accompanying Tyrion on his journey to Pentos until the Imp is kidnapped by Ser Jorah Mormont, which also happens earlier than in the novels, cutting out the likes of Griff, Young Griff, Rolly, and Lemore entirely. Notably, Tyrion and Varys still meet in Ilyrio's home, marking his final mention in the series.
Perhaps Illyrio's exclusion from later seasons of Game of Thrones was meant to simplify the show. Even many devoted fans of the show would struggle to recognize a character by Season 5 whose main appearance was in the show's pilot. Additionally, Varys had proven to be a fan-favorite character in the series by this point, so expanding upon his role gives more screentime to a more recognizable figure for the series.
Illyrio's absence from the show may also indicate that his importance in the novels may be dwindling with future releases. The fact that both Illyrio and Aegon, a key part of his plans, are absent from Game of Thrones Season 5 may mean that Aegon is a fake Targaryen, as many fans speculate, or his inclusion in the books is a red herring.
For more from the world of Westeros, make sure to watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms when it airs on HBO Max on January 18, 2026.